About Paquita la del Barrio
Francisca Viveros Barradas , most-known professionally as Paquita la del Barrio , is a Mexican singer, songwriter, and actress. She is a Grammy-nominated performer of rancheras, boleros and other traditional and contemporary Mexican musical genres.
Paquita started her career in Mexico City in 1970, where she performed at a local restaurant in Colonia Guerrero, and fans began returning every week to listen to her sing. It is here where she started using her stage name, Paquita la del Barrio. Her big break came in 1986, after she performed on a Televisa show that exposed her to a wider audience; this led to a recording coact with CBS Records.
Paquita’s catalogue of songs usually take a feminist stance against Mexico's sexist and “macho” male culture and attitudes, often pointing the finger at the men in her lyrics for causing problems in relationships, and generally making them out to be “tontos y bobos” . This has made her especially popular among female audiences. Paquita is known for her somewhat condescending way of speaking, and for her confrontational presence; her signature phrase, with which she often teases male spectators at her shows, is "¿Me estás oyendo, inútil?", or "are you listening to me, you good-for-nothing?" . In the 2021 Billboard Music Awards, when reguetonero and singer Bad Bunny went to the stage—to kindly help her with her faulty microphone—she told him “Eres un inútil”.
In an interview in 2008, with The Miami Herald, Paquita said, "I am defending women. It is very important. I am a woman. I speak of my experiences." Her best-known song is "Rata de dos patas" , in which she compares an ex-lover to a variety of vermin and other untrustworthy animals, including bugs and “goddamn cockroaches”. The song is the title track on her album of the same name. Many of Paquita's albums and songs are popular jukebox staples in Mexican clubs and cantinas. Paquita's influences stemmed from ranchera music, and singers like Antonio Aguilar and Pedro Infante. Many of her fans, particularly outside of México, also appreciate her for her overall style, glamour and “camp” value.
Paquita duetted with singer Ricardo Arjona on "Ni Tu Ni Yo" on his album 5to Piso . She has also performed at the Premios Lo Nuestro and the Latin Grammy Awards. Paquita participated in the multi-artist 2010 Haiti earthquake benefit, lending her vocals to "Somos El Mundo"—the Spanish version of “We Are The World”, produced and organized by Emilio Estefan. She was honored with the “Trajectory Award” at the Premio Lo Nuestro 2016. She also received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2021 Billboard Latin Music Awards
Paquita la del Barrio has inspired a television series on Univision. The series, Paquita la del Barrio, follows the fictional life story behind the Mexican singer. Paquita stated that it was difficult to watch a story of her life, but was pleased that her story was being told.
Her album Romeo Y Su Nieta earned her a nomination for the 56th Annual Grammy Awards under Best Regional Mexican Music Album .
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